The balloon catheter concept is applicable to a wide variety of surgical procedures. The application of the concept has resulted in the construction of balloon-tipped catheters designed specifically for the system in which they are used. Such balloon-tipped catheters include occlusion and arterial embolectomy catheters. Catheters comprising two inflatable balloons are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,767 discloses a tubular unit used in the treatment of an aneurysm. The unit comprises two inflatable cuffs which are adapted to engage the wall of a blood vessel and an open-ended tube that serves to transport the blood. The inflatable cuffs are disposed at either end of the unit and the blood is shunted from one end of the unit to the other. The unit can be introduced into the vessel through an opening made in the vessel for that purpose or can be percutaneously inserted.
In the case of a trauma to a vessel and in order to repair the vessel, it is necessary to have proximal and distal control of the area of the vessel to be operated upon. By way of example, where there is an aortic transection as a result of a blunt trauma, a large mediastinal haematoma obliterates most of the visual landmarks to aid in obtaining vascular control, rendering the placement of vascular clamps a tasks fraught with dangers since further damage may be caused to the underlying neurovascular structures. The catheter of the present invention overcomes the problems inherent with the placement of vascular clamps. Moreover, the use of the catheter of the present invention reduces the anaesthetic time necessary to effect repair of the vessel. In addition, the catheter of the present invention obviates the need for the insertion of an external shunt which would also require manipulation of the vessel. While shunting of blood around the area of vascular occlusion is not always necessary and is often not conducted in order to avoid further manipulation of the injured vessel and concomitant increase in anaesthetic time, shunting may prevent the incidence of post-operative complications.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a catheter which obviates the need for surgical clamps and an external shunt.